I promote vegetables; I encourage meatless mains as often as possible. But sometimes you just need to splurge.

Our family adores lamb. Grilling makes it even better. For a small group, I’ll make lamb chops; for a larger crowd, boneless leg of lamb impresses and proves super easy.

Lamb comes from sheep that are younger than 1 year old, meaning almost all of the meat is tender. I look for lamb with a fine grain, bright red color and pinkish (not gray) bones that look moist. I prefer a little marbling on the meat, so I opt for leaving a thin fat coating, which adds tremendous flavor while grilling.

Whenever possible, I buy meat that was fed a vegetarian diet (preferably grass for the best flavor), allowed to range and given no anti-biotics or hormones.

Buying lamb from the farmer at a farmers’ market proves satisfying because the money goes directly to the folks responsible for the care of the animal.

Many supermarkets sell Australian or New Zealand lamb, which tends to come from smaller animals than domestic lamb. A boneless leg of lamb from these animals will be about 5 pounds, just right for a group of eight to 10, with some leftovers.

I love to grill boneless leg of lamb because it’s speedy — cooking time is less than 30 minutes — and carving is a breeze. Most butchers will remove the leg bones for you with advance notice.

If you do purchase a bone-in leg of lamb, removing the bones proves easier than it sounds: Simply keep your knife as close to the bones as possible while you gently loosen the meat from around them. Once loosened, twist out the bones. After boning, I cut the meat into two equal-size pieces for easier handling on the grill.

Lamb marries perfectly with garlic. Sweet spices, such as cardamom and cinnamon, likewise complement. I mix all the above with aromatic coriander, cumin and fennel.

I like to serve the grilled lamb with a condiment made of shredded cucumber and plain yogurt. The combo reminds us of gyros, so we serve it with flatbreads, toasted until warm on the grill.

To top off a great meal, we all gather round the kitchen counter and make a family favorite: Fresh rhubarb and strawberry pie.

It takes a family to do all this cooking.

GARLIC AND SPICE GRILLED LEG OF LAMB

Makes 10 servings with leftovers.

1 boneless leg of lamb, about 8 pounds

3 to 5 large cloves garlic, cut into thin slivers

10 cardamom pods, crushed, or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoonsground cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds (optional)

2 cups cherry- or apple-wood chips (optional)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Cucumber yogurt sauce with garlic and herbs (recipe follows)

To season lamb: Cut boneless leg of lamb into 2 equal pieces. Using very sharp small knife, cut small slits in lamb at regular intervals and insert sliver of garlic into each slit. In small dish, combine all spice. Rub spices into lamb on all sides. Place in glass dish. Cover lightly with butcher paper. Refrigerate for 8 hours or up to 3 days.

To prepare grill: Prepare charcoal grill or heat gas grill to medium hot. Soak wood chips in water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain chips. Periodically sprinkle chips over the hot coals. (Note: If using gas grill, set chips on piece of foil. Place packet over heat source.)

To prepare cucumber: Peel off and discard half of cucumber skin. Put four-sided grater into colander. Using largest holes, shred cucumber into colander. Crush garlic into cucumber strands. Stir in salt. Leave in colander to drain in sink or over a bowl for 30 minutes. Using hands, squeeze as much water as possible out of cucumber.

To assemble sauce: Put squeezed cucumber mixture into bowl. Stir in yogurt and herbs. Mix well. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Stir well before serving.

To prepare bottom piecrust: Roll out larger disk of pie dough between 2 sheets of floured wax paper into thin 14-inch circle. Carefully fold dough in half. Place dough in pie dish. Unfold it and fit it over bottom and up sides of pie dish. Trim overhang to leave 1/2 inch all around pie dish. Refrigerate.

To make filling: Cut rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in large bowl. Add sugar, tapioca and salt. Mix well. Gently stir in straw-berries. Let stand for 10 minutes.

To assemble: Spoon rhubarb mixture and accumulated juices into dough-lined pie dish. Carefully place top crust over fruit. Using fingers, press together top and bottom crusts, trimming as needed. Using fork, make decorative edge. Brush top of pie and edges with half-and-half. Sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Using fork, gently poke steam vents into top of pie in several spots.

To bake: Bake pie at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Slide baking sheet under pie to catch any drips. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until top crust is nicely browned. Cool on wire rack until barely warm. Serve warm.

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